U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,326 discloses a combustion engine for a handheld work apparatus, wherein the speed is limited when an engagement speed is reached.
In handheld work apparatuses, continuous operation with a reduced speed, that is to say a speed below the full load speed, can be advantageous. This is the case for example in harvesters, in which it is advantageous to set the speed depending on the degree of ripeness of the fruits to be harvested and the strength of the branches to be shaken. Operation with a reduced speed can also be desirable for reducing noise. Hitherto, the user has had to set the desired speed by partially pressing the throttle lever. This is awkward for the user, since the throttle lever has to be held continuously in a partially pressed position. It is also known to fix the throttle lever in selected positions.